Forgotten Weapons Examines EOTech's First Holographic Sight, Sold Under Bushnell's Name

Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons got hands-on access at EOTech's Plymouth, Michigan facility to examine the company's original holographic sight, a 1996 release marketed under the Bushnell Holosight name rather than EOTech's own branding. For gun owners who've only known EOTech as a rifle-optic mainstay, the video is a reminder that the company started out dependent on another brand's distribution muscle just to get its first product in front of buyers.

Key points

• Bushnell partnership: EOTech, spun off in 1995 from a University of Michigan hologram research lab, had no sales presence in firearms optics, so Bushnell handled marketing and distribution while EOTech manufactured the sight.
• Handgun-first design: McCollum notes the 400 series targeted competitors like those at Bianchi Cup, mounted to pistol frames rather than slides, since it didn't need to survive slide-cycle recoil.
• Swappable reticles: The sight used a replaceable reticle plate, with roughly eight patterns available, including the 20 MOA diamond shown and the A65/1 that became EOTech's signature circle-dot.
• Battery check: The sight runs on two N-cell batteries, and because battery life was short, it includes a button for checking the charge.
• Short production run: Weaver-mounted and lacking Picatinny compatibility, the 400 series was replaced around 2000 by the 500 series, the shape EOTech sights still use today.

Quick take

The video is a history lesson rather than a buying guide, and it shows how much EOTech's hardware has changed since its Bushnell-branded debut.

Watch the full video: Forgotten Weapons